Improvement in apparatus for stereotyping



Wt GOWLES. gsheets-snetl APPARATUS FOR STEREOTYPING.

No` 12,157. Patented Ja.11.2, 1855.-

2 Sheetrs-Sheet-g.l W. CDWLES. L APPARATUS FOR STBRBOTYPING.

No..12,157. Patented Jan. 2, 1855;`

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLARD COWLES, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR STEREOTYPING.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 12,157, dated January 2, 1805 To all whom it may con/cern:

Be it known that l, WILLARD (TowLEs, of the city of lVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented-certain Improvements in Materials, Processes, and Apparatus made use ot in the Art of Stcreotyping; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact Adescription of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and the letters marked thereon. I

The nature of my invention consists in making molds from type or other matter by successive impressions with it upon the plastic material herein described, which is'ot` sufficient toughness to admit of heilig easily molded without breaking, will harden in drying without cracking, and retain a perfect impression of the type, and which, when a plate of any material has been cast into orl upon it, can be easily washed therefrom;`

also, in constructing furniture, frame, and bars, so as easily to determine the size, form, and bevel edges of the stereotype-plate, and, in combination with a metallic or other plate, its thickness; also, in dividing the plate in casting'into twoor-more pieces by the use of metallic or other slips, as described, to give a better understanding of which Ilwill proceed to give a more-complete description.

I Vuse a material for molds composed of fine tough clay, which has been Well lmeaded and intimately mixed wit-h about one part of best treacle to twenty parts ot clay, by weight. This mixture should remain from one to four days, when fermentation takes place and it attains its greatest toughness. \Vhen required for use, there is to be mixed with this mass plaster-of-paris enough to prevent cracking in drying. About three parts of dry plaster' to five of the above mixture will ordinarily be sultieient, but the proportion required will vary with the quality of the plaster. The manner of making the mold is to spread this material in a thin coating upon a metallic or other plate, Figure 4, f f and pressing it several times successively upon the type or other matter to be molded, care being taken toA meisten the type with pure spirits of turpen tine or camphinc previous to each impression to prevent theadhcsion of the mold. material thereto.

lo determine thc size, forni, bevel edges, und thickness of the store(itypc-plai1e, usc

furniture ot' a convenient and proper height and breadth, Figs. land 5, (La, with its upper and lower surfaces perfectly parallel, with which to surround the type or other mattei' to be molded 'for the purpose of forming a bed, Fig. si., bi1, around the mold, upon which cient strength, with its aperture exactly corresponding to the size and bevel edges ot' the required .stereotype-platc, and its thickness such as, together with the difference between the height of the molding-furniture above described and that of the type shall be equal to the required thickness of the stereotypeplate; or I make use' of bars, Fig. S, of a length to suit the page, which laid, previous to the last impression, upon furniture as high as the type, less the required thickness of the stereotype-plate, become embedded in and adhere to the molds, and in place of the frame determine the size, form, and bevel of the stereotype-plates. The materialused for the stereotype-plate being placed upon the mold and within the frame or bars, (which frame isv first placed upon the bed of the mold, Fig. 4, bb, as represented at Fig. 6, 51),) a metallic plate is laid upon it and the whole submitted to a pressure, which shall be sui cient to bring the plate in contact with the upper side of the. frame, Fig. 2, or bars, Fig. 3. This frame may be made with shifting partitions, so as toJ be readily divided into compartments of any desired dimensions. The frame or bars should have openings upon the upper side, Figs. 2, 3, and 6, e c, to allow of the escape of superfluous material. The bars should also have longitudinal grooves, Fig. 3, g g, on the lower side, into which the mold material will be pressed and serve to keep the bars in their proper place during the operation of casting. It will be understood that the different materials and compositions made use of for constructing stereotypeplates require for the most part dil'tfcrcn.; degrees of heat and some, as nements, none at all. 'Diff ferent manipulation is also required, as for type-metal, fusible metal, cements, and materials composed of various substances the principal part of which is zntta-perchaindiarubber, or shellac.

Vhen I wish to cast a page in several pieces, I place a lead, Fig. 5, d d, as high as the type,

less the required thickness of the stereotype-- plate, between the lines of the type Wherever it is desired to have the stereotype-plate divided, thus forming a narrow groove. Metallic or other Slips should be made 'of equal thickness with these leads and of a breadth which, together with that of the leads, shall correspond to the height of the type or other matter. Then before making the last impression in the formation of the mold these slips, Figs. l and 5, e e, are inserted in the grooves above mentioned, and afterthe impression they remain embedded in the mold, Figs. 4 and 6, c" e. Upon making` the cast these slips remain in it, dividing it where they occur to a sufficient depth to render it easily and accurately separable. These slips may .also be used; in the manner described when the mold is made in` the ordinary Way with plaster-of-paris or of any other material.

I do not claim the use of plasterPof-paris or clay for the making of molds for stereotyping; nor do I claim the making of molds by successive impressions; nor do I claim simply the use of furniture, nor the determination of the thickn of the stereotype-plate by means of bars or a frame placed upon the mold- .plat-e; butI -r l W hat I do claim as my invention, and desire to' secure by Letters Patent, is'- l. The use of furniture of an exact and-V p proper height for the purpose of forming a bed in and around the mold on which to place the metallic casting-frame, which gages the size, form, and bevel of the stereotype-plate, or which shall itself form a support on which bars are placed for the purpose of being pressed into the mold and embedded therein, thus taking the place of the frame.

' 2.Y The use of a frame placed upon a bedin and around the mold or in its place the use `metal or a compound in which a principal ingredient is gutta-percha, indiarubber, shellac, or any other substance or composition of which stereotypc-plates are now or may hereafter be made.

WI'LLARD coWLEs.

Witnesses:

N. CALLAN, DAN ROWLAND. 

